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“When the world would not listen to what we say, we sang.” – Dr. Reiland Rabaka

In this powerful episode of The Cause: Conversations on Music, History, and Democracy, Dr. Reiland Rabaka explores the deep cultural, spiritual, and political roots of Civil Rights Music—from the sacred sounds of the Black church to the anthems that echoed through marches, protests, and mass meetings.

Drawing connections between gospel, rhythm & blues, rock & roll, and freedom songs, Dr. Rabaka illustrates how music served not only as inspiration but as a vital form of protest and communication when other means were denied. He highlights how artists like Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, and Aretha Franklin helped craft a soundtrack of resistance—songs that gave voice to struggle, hope, and liberation.

And catch this episode airing next week on —Thursdays at 7 a.m.

The Breakdown

Clips heard in this episode:

• On My Way, Mahalia Jackson
• In the Upper Room, Mahalia Jackson
• We Shall Overcome, Joan Baez at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963
• Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind Stayed On Freedom), The Freedom Singers (originally written by Reverend Robert Wesby, 1961)
• The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Gill Scott-Heron, 1970

The Playlist

• On My Way
• In the Upper Room
• Come on Children, Let's Sing
• I Will Move on up a Little Higher
• How I Got Over
• Trouble of the World
• Just a Little While to Stay Here

• If You Miss Me from Praying Down Here
• If You Miss Me from the Back of the Bus
• This Little Light of Mine
• This Little Light of Freedom
• Woke Up This Morning with My Mind on Jesus
• Woke Up This Morning with My Mind on Freedom
• When I’m in Trouble, Lord, Walk with Me
• Down in the Jailhouse, Lord, Walk with Me
• If You Want to Get to Heaven, Do What Jesus Says
• If You Want to Get Your Freedom, Register and Vote
• Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round
• I’m Gonna Tell God How You Treat Me
• Woke Up This Morning with My Mind Stayed on Freedom
• We shall overcome

• Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”
• Ben E. King, “Stand By Me”
• Tina Turner, “It's Gonna Work Out Fine”
• Nina Simone, “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black”
• Aretha Franklin, “Respect”
• Various Artists, Power To The Motown People!: Civil Rights Anthems and Political Soul, 1968-1975 (2007)
• Martha Reeves & the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street,” “Heat Wave,” “Quicksand,” and “Nowhere to Run”;
• Smokey Robinson & the Miracles’ “I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying,” “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Going to a Go-Go,” “Abraham, Martin, and John,” “Whose Gonna Take the Blame?,” and “Tears of a Clown”;
• Marvin Gaye’s “Can I Get a Witness?,” “I’ll Be Doggone,” “Ain’t That Peculiar?” and “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”;
• The Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go?,” “Stop in the Name of Love,” “Love Child,” “I’m Livin’ in Shame,” and “The Young Folks”;
• The Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” “Beauty is Only Skin Deep,” and “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World is Today)”;
• The Four Tops “It’s the Same Old Song” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There.”

• Ruth Brown, (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean
• Fats Domino, Be My Guest
• Etta James, W-O-M-A-N
• Lloyd Price, Where You At?
• Little Richard, Good Golly, Miss Molly
• LaVern Baker, Jim Dandy
• Little Junior Parker, I Wanna Ramble
• Roy Milton, You Got Me Reeling And Rocking
• Bo Diddley, You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover
• Etta James, Good Rockin' Daddy
• The Platters, Out Of My Mind
• Chuck Berry, Reelin' And Rocking
• Slim Harpo, Don't Start Cryin' Now
• LaVern Baker, Shake a Hand
• Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, Boogie Uproar
• Clyde McPhatter, Deep Sea Ball
• Piano Red, She's Dynamite
• Ruth Brown, This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'
• Big Joe Turner, Morning, Noon And Night
• The Treniers, Poon-Tang
• LaVern Baker, See See Rider
• Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Just Don't Care
• Shirley And Lee, I Feel Good
• Etta James, The Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry)
• Etta James, Something's Got A Hold On Me

Learn more in Dr. Rabaka's book:

Civil Rights Music: The Soundtracks of the Civil Rights Movement��
While there have been a number of studies that have explored African American “movement culture” and African American “movement politics,” rarely has the mixture of black music and black politics or, rather, black music an as expression of black movement politics, been explored across several genres of African American “movement music,” and certainly not with a central focus on the major soundtracks of the Civil Rights Movement: gospel, freedom songs, rhythm & blues, and rock & roll.